Sliding bottom for incubators.



C. L. VETTER.

SLIDING BOTTOM FOR INGUBATORS.

APPLIUATION FILED DEO. 12, 1910.

Patented sep1-.1,1914.

FIG. 1.

l. l. l

THE NORRII PITI'II PHpfU-LITHO.. WASHINQWN. R C.

gait- 'knowntha'tI,CHARLES a `citizen `of the yUnited States, `and aresi ySpecication of Letters 'Patent Application mea December iai'eio. ,serra No. 596,747.

- SLIDING BOTTOM Fon `I NomaA'roas.

Patentea'sepa ,1, 1914.

To all whom/*5t may concern.' y Y u L.` VETTER,

dent. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, yhave invented a certain new ,anduseful Sliding 'B'ottomfor Incubators,-of whichthefollowf 1 ingls a specificatiom The purpose of my invention is to provide' a newy`r` bottom which shall receive the chicksas they are hatched, which can be re` moved preferably by dropping to a position y in which, it is removable, as 1s a drawer, and

to ypermitits use inthe dropped position as a brooder. I prefer also to supply another bottomS in the place `which the-.first formerly occupied, in order to .close the incubator so that a new setting ofeggs `can be started. This second bottom maybe made the top of the broeder, andmay carry they. mother for yuse within thegbrooder. y. y

A further-purpose of my inventionis to provide simple means for theguidanee and support of, the several bottoms, so that the latter maybe quickly and easily 'placed and withdrawn,l and to secure interchangeability of bottomsfor ythe'purpose of providing` a" nursery and brooder inthe same incubator h without the necessity of changingthegchicks Vtion by the form thereof shown, ask this has proved successful in actual practice and well 'from one bottom to another.

f A further purpose'y of my invention isjyto provide an interchangeable nursery' agndu` 5v ybrooder bottom,means for supporting itin either position, and a nursery bottom land brooder top capableof insertion when the interchangeable Abottoinfis in the" brooder-` position. y y, f I have. preferred to illustrate my invenillustrates the general principles involved,

though I recognize that some of the advantages of my invention can be obtainedby other and widely different constructions.^ n Figure 1i is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe preferredform of my invention. Fig.

2 is a transverse section of the form shown in Fig. 1. Fig. v3 1s a broken transverse section similar to Fig. 2,f but with the parts diferent positions. yFig. 4; 1s (an, enlarged vfragmentary section of axportiony ofthe structure of Fig.,.2.

In the drawings similar numerals referto ,dorf-@Spending parte; c

.v Thelam'p 1, three concentric Vcas;- mgs 2; 3 and.4,1andsupplyi11g heat there fromVK toY the upper closedincubator lcompartmen't, 5by .pipes 16. and "7,.and to the egg compart'rnei1t by means ofpipe 8, ,all :controlled by thermostat v9, `'as Valso the then mometer with itssupp'ort, and theeggltrays' 10 are allcvshownand describedina copendlng application iileld by me. f' i f My'invention` is most desirablyused with egg trays whose bottoms are-removableto permit the chicks ultimately to fall through intoy a nursery, but this is` not essential;`

One such formy is here illustrated, having y bottom l1 removable todrop the eggsupon the bars y12 yat pipping time, between which l bars [they4 chicks drop when the eggs are hatched. My invention is advantageous also kwith 'other nursery arrangements, and other bottomsI and constructions not kenteringfinto .the claims. `4 f i y y `I use any, suitable form of incubator box 'or casing, .which I have shown` as having an outery shelll, atop 14, and a lining 15, and

provide a doorv opening or openings as at 16. i, In .thevffolm' fShOWn` Ihave kpreferred to pass the ventilating ,pipes 17 entirely through the incubator, and f out awayl the removable bottom 18 yat 19 and 20y to accommodate 'them-nii e y The bottom 18 y l vshown kas comprisinga frame having front .and backmembers 21,

`22, connected by'v said membersl 23 and car- '-rying floork .24, all of any suitable material.

Thefouter partsof thefsides arebshown as carryingstrips 25 which perform a guiding and: sealing function. These strips rest wheny my removable bottom infitjs raised or nurseryposition, thusy sealingthe edges,

against meeting framev strips 26 at the top,

and when thebottom is lowered, rest upon i f and seal against strips 27. The strips 25 also act ,asor in conjunction withr guides between these positions. I illustrate this by projections`28 upon the strips 525 whichlride upon the guides 29 to supportfthe rear o'f the. bottom' in the vupper position'a'nd to guide the rear of the bottom in its kInove-` ment forwardly anddownwardly when it is y beingchanged tothek lower` position, and

Vce Ver* The. guide 29/dOGSIiOt reach the bottomfstrip 27,1leaving space within which i v the pin 28 passesfreely when thebottom shoved l`directlyback while resting'won4 the strip 27.

The front of ,the removable bottom issuppo-rted preferably bya catch 30, which will latch within pocket 31, when pressedupfA wardly.

Thisremovable bottom becomes a combiy nation bottom when itis intended forv brooder uses. a coverv is desirable,'whi'ch,cover forms a temporary bottom "tothe nursery. In view of this fact,vand"because' the Acombination feature ofthe bottom need not be used and both-of these bottoms are removable, 'I' Aprefer to'distinguish this combinationbottom by theterm f main bottom.- i L 'The front of the main bottom is supported i'n its upper position by the: latch, while'the rear is at the same time supported preferably by the p in 28, though permissibly in.r

part or altogether by the pipe 17.

Aportion of the strips 25 is cut away at 32 to give room for the 'angle 33 of the rela- Since the front is then open,

tively narrow guide, with care that the cuti ting away of the strips shall not be suicient to interfere with the performance ofthe strips sealing function at top and bottom in its several positions.

`In operation, thevmain bottom can receive the chicks as a nursery, when in the upper position and be releasedat the frontlatch and very` slightly dippedtherefto Afree it? from the front of the incubator frame so.'r

that it can be pulled forward and then forf -wardly and downwardly vin a maintained g.

horizontal position.y During this movement, 3 the front is supported by thehand of "the operator, while the rear portion is `supported l bythe pins 28 which follow the outline ofE tracks 29. I have p referred to show these of substantially uniform slope, but, evi

` dently, the slope may follow anyl other desired law. The main bottom rests with the strips 25 upon the ledges or strips 27,when"1 'thepins have left the guides 29. The lbotl tom may then be removed fromthe vincubator altogether, as would be the casefwith a l drawer, by vforward horizontal movement or it may be shoved horizontally backward into i the brooder position, the pins' 28 then vpassf ing beneaththe lower ends of the guides or'; tracks 29.

`In resetting ythe bottom, it is pushed in or pulled-out, as the case may be, dependingl upon its previous position, until the pins 28 i are below and just in front of the lower front ends fof the tracks 29, 1when thebottoml is lifted `or tilted upon thefront endsofv the lst`rips27, to bringthe pins above the lower endspof the guides. The bottom is .then pushed back, following `the Aguides into a position where a 'final 'slight upward movement of the front end latches'it.

y Ithe removable-bottom been lowi ered for brooder purposes or removed as for ond set of eggs is hatched. I illustrate this auxiliary as comprising a frame 35 with any suitable floor36 and any latch desired.`v I also prefer to make use of the auxiliary bottom as vacarrier for the mother of ythe brooder' at the same timethat, as the Hoor of the nursery, it becomes the cover of the brooder.' For'that purpose I secure any suitable strips v37 tothe under side ofthe floor 36.

` "Since th'e'main bottom does not require a front ,wall for thel nursery use and the absence` of this wa'llf is desirable for its use as a brooder,'I have shown it as open in the front, a matter of accommodation to the tastes or needs of theindividual or location.

`VVhatI vclaimzas new'and desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. In an` incubator, a casing,a main bottom,upper and lower supports for the said upper. supports and provided with a brooder mother upon its under surface.

'2.'y In an incubator, a casing, ja movable bottom, ,upper and lower supports therefor bottom, and an lauxiliary bottom'fitting the -i retaining the bottomin either oftwo positions," the` one directly yover the other, anda 'guidedirecting the Apath of the bottom in movement between the supports.

3. In an incubator, a casing, a removable brooder bottom therefor, and a-removable vbrooder top carrying a brooder mother and providing a bottom for the incubator upon its upper surface. f"

4In an Lincubator, a casing, a bottom capable of movement within the casing and wholly removable therefrom, supports at the back of Lthe bottom, a track guiding the supports in movement within the casing and means for guiding the botto-m in insertion or removal when the supports'pass'beneath i 5. In an incubator, a casing, a removable bottom therefor, coperating l strips `upon the casing and'bottom Zengaging along 4horizon-- tal planes to `seal the strips upon the bottom against strips on the casinglto'prevent leakvage'of airin upper and lowerfoperative posit-ions within the casing, and a track upon 1,109,269 f s i which the bottom is guided between the poing the bottom and guiding one end thereof i,

sitions. o into the uppei` set position. o

6. In an incubator a casing a bottom o guides upon which the, bottom is ,free to slide CHARLES v VETTER 5 into and away from a lower set position, Witnesses: l

means for supporting the bottom in an up- WILLIAM STEELL JACKSON, per set position and an inclined guide engag- HELEN I. KAUFFMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve `cents each, by addressing ythey Commissioner of `Il'ratepnts, n

Washington D. C. 

